


Towards Home

by SighingWinter



Series: The Bear and The Hobbit [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Dwarves, Elves, F/M, Gen, Implied Relationships, M/M, Tolkien cannon used, Wargs and Orcs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-18 06:32:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7303327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SighingWinter/pseuds/SighingWinter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part Two of the Bear and Hobbit Series</p><p>It is not easy being a Hobbit who hates heights and running. Especially not one who is being chased by orcs, wargs, a giant man-bear, spiders, and elves- not to mention the barrels and greedy Laketown men. Oh yes- and bonus an angry Dragon. <br/>Dwalin and Balin had better be grateful, because they made the choice to join Thorin on this Quest, and both of them would be long dead without her. <br/>Now if only she could force Gandalf to stick around long enough to actually help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bills Still Hates Running and There's an Actual Bear

Billana Baggins of Bag End was stick to death of stones, mountain tops, and dwarves, which is why she had volunteered to slip out and scout around once they had made it down the Carrock. Both Dwalin and Blain had protested but one look from her silenced them and they let her go.

Peering above the rocks of her hiding place she watched as the mad orc pack that had followed them raced past them, howling for their prey. Azog the Defiler was angry and his lust for the blood of his enemies was strong. Strong enough that in the course of their single day of rest (spent climbing down that stupid giant rock) the orcs had almost caught up to their Company despite the help of the Great Eagles of Manwe.

Ducking down as Azog turned his great head in her direction, something else catch the Hobbit lass’s ears that ought not to have been so close. At first she thought the sound was from a warg, but inching very carefully over she glimpsed a giant black shape with huge shoulders and rows of sharp teeth. Its fur was raised across its hackles and Billana had enough experience with animals to determine that that was most certainly _not_ good. Crouching low to the ground and praying that stupid stones didn’t give her away, she crept back down the path she came, and once safely hidden proceeded to run.

_“How close is the pack?”_ Thorin asked, weapon drawn and ready, a movement which endeared her to the dwarf only slightly. He was still in a great deal of trouble for his actions two days previous, however now was not the best time so it stewed in the back of the Baggins’ mind, while more important things such as surviving took the forefront.

_“Too close.”_ She gasped, by the green lady she hated running! And her ribs were screaming at her for their ill use. _“A couple of leagues, no more.”_

She skidded to a stop and gratefully leaned against her heart-lode, catching her breath against his tense form. _“But that’s not the worst of it.”_

_“The wargs picked up our scent?”_

_“Not yet. But they will.”_ She gasped, shaking her head, _“We have another problem”_

_“Did they see you?”_ Gandalf asked, hurriedly.

_“Hmm?”_

_“They saw you”_ Horror was about to fill the faces of her companions before she shook her head.

_“No, that’s not it.”_

_“What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material.”_ The Company all grinned and delightedly agreed, relaxing for the first time since they heard the warg howls this morning.

Billa left all manners behind her, determined to yell rather than attempt to knock them all upside the head as she wanted, “Shut up! _I’m trying to tell you that there is something else out there.”_

The Company exchanged nervous glances, and both Thorin and Dwalin’s expressions seemed to ask what more could happen now?

“ _What form did it take?”_ Gandalf asked, wary. Looking up Billana wondered at the strange formation of such a question. He couldn’t possibly… no there was no way he would dare try and deliberately cross paths with something dangerous, after all he had tried to convince Thorin about leaving when they’d encountered the trolls. “ _Like a bear?”_

_“Ye-yes. But bigger, much, much bigger.”_

_“Yeh knew about this beast?”_ Bofur asked a deep frown on his face as he looked up at the wizard. Gandalf the Grey turned away, and Billana scowled. Then again the wizard had thrown a temper tantrum instead of acting like a rational man and had walked off after the argument with Thorin, thus avoiding the whole scene with the trolls.

_“I say we double back_.” The hatted dwarf quickly said, clearly determined to attempt further avoidance of creatures that could be dangerous.

_“And be run down by an orc pack?”_ Thorin demanded. They were all still weak from the last fight, limited rest, and almost no supplies. They would die for certain if the pack found them.

_“There is a house”_ Gandalf said, voice cutting through the air and silencing the others. _“No far from here where we might taking refuge.”_

_“Whose house? Are they friend or foe?”_ Thorin asked suspiciously, his expression mirroring that of most of the Company.

Gandalf nodded in respect to the question answering swiftly, _“Neither. He will help us or he will kill us.”_

Neither the Took nor Baggins Side of Common Sense liked this idea and clamored against any and every idea of evening going. Dwalin grasped her hand tightly, as though to pull her away from the wizard and the potential doom he was offering.

“ _What choice do we have?”_ Thorin asked rhetorically, likely knowing that it was this dubious offering of safety or a high potential of death at the hands of orcs and wargs. A roar slammed through the air making them all turn around and gaze up in horror. Whatever made that sound, Billa though, mostly certain does not need to be met.

“ _None.”_ Was the grim reply.

 

They spent that night and much of the next day running, pausing only to drink from a nearby stream or to hurriedly eat the very last crumbs of what little food there was left. Every part of Billa’s body protested this abuse and many members seemed to agree based on various gasped exclamations.

_“Keep breathing. That’s the key. Breath.”_ Gloin gasped to himself, gripping a throwing axe tightly in one hand.

They knew that Azog had discovered their scent when they heard howls in the woods that they passed through. Undeterred by that they continued, only briefly pausing when the bear’s roar sliced through the air once more much closer than it had ever been before.

_“This way quickly!”_ Gandalf urged, pushing them on wards. Out of all of the dwarves Bombur was the best runner for, in-spite of his size, as they reached open plains, he raced past Balin, Dwalin, Bifur, Nori, and Dori.

_“I’m wasted on cross country! We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances!”_ Gloin gasped out pressing forward as fast as his stout legs would take him.

Billana and Dwalin were one of the last through the gate right behind Thorin, but it was Billa who looked over her shoulder and saw the enormous black bear as it tore through the trees and came rushing across the short plain towards them.

“ _OPEN THE DOOR!!”_ Thorin yelled, pushing past the group who slammed themselves into the door time and time again to little avail. It was Thorin who saw the latch and pushed it up, sending them all tumbling inside the house.

Turning around they immediately began to press the door closed, Kili, Dori, and Ori yelling “Push” as they all pressed against the door as the great bear slammed into it. Billa’s eyes widened in fear as its maw opened in front of her to let out an outraged roar. Teeth the size of her arms and legs were mere inches from her face. And in that single frightful moment all she could think was ‘His breath will kill me before his teeth!’

The dwarves at last managed to push the door close and latch it, exhausted gasps of relief at living one day longer filled the air around them.

_“What…is that?”_ Ori gasped out.

_“That is our host”_

Billana Baggins slowly turned around to face the tall Man and in a voice that was soft and very sweet she asked “What?”


	2. Gandalf is in Trouble

“What?” Billa asked, her voice soft and sweet.

It was a tone of voice that every Hobbit in the Shire knew and never wanted to hear- alive or dead. For that tone was one of utter deception, kind softness hiding the depth of trouble one was in until the moment that Billa (and her mother before her) flaying them alive with words in addition to a swift kick or punch.

Of course neither the dwarves nor Gandalf had ever reached such a point of ire with either mother or daughter, so none of them knew to be especially wary. All of them simply put off as her nerves and the strain of the past few days.

_“His name is Beorn. He’s a skin changer.”_ Of course the mysteriousness of Gandalf’s voice caught the curiosity of the darrow, though it set every warning off in Billana’s mind. He was going to try and sell them on staying here and accepting their host.

“ _Sometimes he’s a huge black bear. And sometimes he’s a great strong man.”_ Here Gandalf turned and wandered deeper into the house, noticeably away from any blade a disapproving dwarf might draw on him.

_“The bear is unpredictable, but the man can be reasoned with. However he is not over fond of dwarves.”_

Ori, whose ear was pressed tightly against the door they had come through accounted, _“He’s leavin’.”_

“ _Come away from there!”_ Dori pulled his youngest brother away, and Billa noted closer to Nori, who was quick to stand by his older brother. _“It’s not natural none of it! It’s obvious he’s under some dark spell!”_

_“You fool.”_ Gandalf grumbled, looking down his nose at the silver haired dwarf _, “he’s under no enchantment but his own.”_

_“Alright now all of you, get some sleep. You’ll be safe here tonight.”_ At this Gandalf swept off his hat and the dwarves began to warily look around the large house.

Only Billana was close enough to hear the low murmur of _“I hope”._

Green eyes narrowed on the tall man and without further ado she stalked up to him and smiled, “Gandalf?”

“Yes my dear girl?” He asked looking down at the Hobbit with a soft expression.

Faster than anyone saw she lashed out, fist closed in a sturdy ball, thumb outside the palm and landed it right in between the Man’s legs. The man could only gasp as he crumpled to the ground, old face a mixture of shock and pain. At the sound of his body hitting the wooden floors the dwarves turned and stared at the tiny woman in astonishment.

“I wanted to make certain that if I’m dying in the morning you understand just how mad I am at you.” She said, her voice still sweet and soft. She bent over, eyes and voice hardening as they met the wizard’s, “If I am not dead we. Will. Have. Words.”

And with that she turned on her heals and headed for her load and his brother, both of whom stood beside an all too grimly pleased Thorin.

Green eyes narrowed at the dwarf king, not allowing him too long to think he’d won over the taller being. “The same goes for you Mister Oakensheild. And consider yourself lucky that I’m not tempted to punch you too. Now if you’ll excuse me I am going to find a bed and sleep. If anyone so much as disturbs my sleep you will regret it.”


	3. Meeting a Skin-Changer

Billa woke to the dim sounds of happy horses and buzzing bees, sounds that reminded her so much of the Shire that for a moment she could have sworn that she was back home in her smial. But no, her bed never smelt of sweet hay nor did she ever have bees inside the house. Billa frowned at the yellow and black insect that had awaken her, needing to heed the call of nature as badly as she did would have likely woken her sooner or later, but Billa was greedy for more uninterrupted, safe sleep. The bee buzzed for a moment longer around her head before flying off.

While a heavy sigh the hobbit stood up and dusted off the hay from her clothes and proceeded across the house towards the voices she’d heard murmuring in the distance. The dwarves were arguing amongst themselves and as she approached it seemed to be as though it was about the host.

_“…We cannot pass through the wilderland without Beorn’s help. We’ll be hunted down before we ever get to the forest.”_

_“Ah! Billa there you are!”_ Gandalf said looking down at her before scooting through the dwarves and towards the door, _“Now this will require some delicate handling. You must tread very carefully- the last person to have startled him was torn to shreds.”_

Billa did not like the sound of that and the dwarves seemed no fonder of the idea than she did. Even you I am sure, dear reader, can agree that travelling whilst missing a limb would be quite difficult, of course no more difficult than being dead and travelling.

“ _I will go first and Billa-”_ He gestured to her, _“You’ll come with me.”_

Balin and Dwalin moved to protest while everyone else glanced between her and the wizard, clearly recalling the events of the evening before _._ She raised a hand to Dwalin’s rumbling chest and raised a single brow, “Are you quite certain that this is a good idea?”

“Yes.” Billa most certain did not like that way the wizard refused to meet her gaze, “Now the rest of you wait here and don’t come out until I give the signal.”

Bofur who’d managed to climb up and look out a window, looked over his shoulder dark eyes full of concerned laced-fear _“Right. The signal.”_

 _“No sudden move, loud noises, and don’t over crowd him. And only come out in pairs.”_ With Billa at his side the Grey Wizard turned to leave out the door but remembered something and turned back to say, _“Bombur- you count as two so you come alone.”_

The dwarf seemed to almost deflate before her very eyes and Billana scowled up at the man, not at all happy at his words to one whom she considered a friend.

 _“Remember wait for the signal_.” And then the two were stepping out of the door and into the yard, much to the slight panic of the sons of Fundin.

A great, very big, and very hairy (worse than any dwarf she’d yet seen!!) man had his back to then, slamming an axe the size of Gandalf down against wood, clearly creating the logs that he’d likely use to create a blazing fire in his very large hearth. Billa only hoped that this man, this skin-changer named Beorn, would not be like the trolls and try to roast her or her fellows alive.

Twice as they approached the wizard cleared his voice and ran a hand through his hair and Billa smirked as she followed a rather Took-ish sense of stating the obvious simply annoy the man and get under his skin, “You’re nervous.”

“Wha- nervous?” The axe fell, cleanly splitting a log the size of Billa in two. “What nonsense.”

Billa sniggered, hiding it as a couch into her sleeve, as Gandalf reeled back from an axe swung back and then down to shatter another log. Clearly the wizard was nervous, a point that was only further underlined when he called out softly, “ _Morning_.”

Another axe swing barely avoided, Gandalf said, this time with a slight sing-song tone, “Good morning.”

The log shattered and the head of the man turned only slightly, enough for one great amber eyes to glare down at the intruders.

 _“Who are you?”_ The voice was low and dangerous, with a rasping quality to it that made the small hairs on the back of Billa’s neck raise.

 _“I am Gandalf. Gandalf the Grey.”_ Here the wizard bowed slightly, just enough denote respect to the man, but not low enough that his eyes never moved from his figure.

The great man turned around axe before him, growling, _“Never heard of him.”_

This, much to Billa’s private amusement, seemed to wipe the warm expression off Gandalf’s face quickly enough, though she was certain to maintain her Baggins’ expression, one of serene and extreme politeness. Just because he was being rude did not mean she had to be.

 _“I am a wizard. Perhaps you have heard of my college Radagast the Brown, he resides in the southern borders of Mirkwood.”_ The wizard might have gone on, but Beorn was not willing to permit him.

 _“What do you want?”_ He rasped.

 _“Well. Why simply to thank you for your hospitality_.” Billa’s brows quirked for a moment, the only flicker on her otherwise impeccable and unreadable façade.

_“You may have noticed that we took refuge in your lodgings here last and uh-“_

Gandalf’s movement revealed Billa and the man grasped his axe, alarmed but not yet angry, _“Who is this little fellow?”_

_“Ah! Well this would be Miss Billana Baggins of the Shire.”_

The man hefted his axe eyeing her with a strange gleam in his eyes that Miss Baggins most certainly did not like and it was all she could do to sketch out a bow to the man whilst preparing her body to run for its life once more.

 _“Why No! No... He’s a Hobbit from a good family and unimpeachable reputation.”_ She smiled at the great man before her.

 _“A Halfling…”_ It took a great deal of self-control for Billa to bite her tongue at that and not tear him a new one- host or not! Where do these people get there ideas from?! First the dwarves and now this man- she was most certainly not have of anything!! Beorn looked her up and down, and was that a sparkle in the man’s eyes that she caught?

Indeed reader, for though Billa did not quite know it, Beorn had arrived at the house during her sleep and had decided then to not kill the Company- despite the great number of uninvited guests that had lain across his floor. By doing so he had agreed by the old traditions of his people to not kill them at all, not that the wizard need to know that or any other information about how to deal with him. For everyone in his younger years knew better than to give an sort of hole for an Istari to dig their grasp into. Besides, it was rather fun to toy with others for sheer amusement and let them grow rightfully fearful of him. It kept the rumors alive and the unwanted guests away- mostly.

_“How come you are here?”_

_“Ah, the fact is we’ve had a bad time of it. From goblins in the mountains.”_

_“What did you go near goblins for?”_ Beorn demanded _, “Stupid thing to do!”_

 _“You are absolutely right!!”_ Gandalf exclaimed raising his hand several time up and down _._ However before he could tell the tale further Dwalin and Balin stepped out through the front door, unarmored and not visibly armed. Amber eyes dilated and the axe was up in his thick arms, ready to be swung at the appearing members.

“ _Dwalin” “Balin”_ The pair introduced, the younger of the pair pushing his chest out and tucking hands into his belt to appear bigger as they approached.

_“And I must confess that several of our group are in fact… dwarves.”_

_“Do you call two several?”_ Beorn asked, eyeing them warily as they neared, noting how they stood on either side of Billa, wariness in their eyes coupled with a protectiveness that intrigued the skin-changer.

The conversation on dissolved from there, as Gandalf attempted to explain or draw the skin-changer into a story where it would be possible for the whole Company to appear without alarming him or wanting to take off their heads.  Needless to say he failed and once again Billa was the one to save Company.

“Forgive me, Great Bear, but perhaps I might explain better than my companion here. If of course, you'd be willing to hear a bit of a tale. I warn you that it is not short.” She said drawing the man’s attention away from her friends and onto her.

Amber eyes narrowed and all those around hardly dared to breathe as they awaited his judgment. Slowly the axe lowered until the head was back towards the ground yet still in the man’s hands.

“Go on.”


	4. The Great Tale That Has Yet To End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billa tells a story that ought to be placed among the greatest of tales of Middle Earth.

The tale that Billa Baggins wove was dense and intricate, worthy to be among the greatest tales of the First Age. Starting from the birth of all peoples and how they discovered their chosen loves, how this great decision created the existence of Durin the Deathless himself, and how his great struggles against all manner of evil and darkness effected the whole of Middle Earth to the very present.

“That still does not tell me little rabbit, of why you have come.” Beorn rumbled now sitting on the grass of his lawn, eyes on the Shireling with rapt attention.

“Yes well, you see Durin’s children and descendants left Moria after it fell and made a great trek east until they found Erebor, the Lonely Mountain. And there they grew strong, working the finest jewels, armors, and weapons that even those blind to all else knew of the great worth of the mountain in its people. Of course, it was not only good folk who heard of the great and vast wealth of the Lonely Peak, but also those of the greatest evil and thus Smaug- the last of the dark dragons decided to take on the mountain and all its dwarves to gain the riches that lay inside. As you no doubt know the tale of its loss and the attempts made at reclaiming Moria, I shall skip that nasty and sorrowful business” a theatrical shudder followed this statement, “And begin in the year 2980 of the Third Age, with the birth of you’s truly.” She smiled at this.

“That is not to say of course that my own birth was anything extraordinary of itself- no indeed I was in fact the easiest babe to be born that year, however the true story begins not long after my fifth birth when a great bear and it’s brother came into my home.”

From there she tossed a wink at Dwalin and Balin, both of whom seemed to smile fondly- if a bit grimly- at the memory of their first meeting and learning how it played out into the life that their Billa had lead.

After a brief break, when her voice cracked and Beorn offered them a late lunch so that he could listen further while ensure that the Shireling’s fatigue did not impede the telling of this wondrous tale. Even the dwarves had gathered close to the great bear, eyes alight in wonder. Billana had never had such a warm reception to her stories, every man cheered at the right parts, grew tearful at other sections, and heckled in the portions that they were supposed to disagree with.

“Upon waking it felt as those a great illness had befallen me, for I could hardly stand was so terribly dizzy. But as I stood there something else lurked in the darkness of the cave, for the goblin who had joined my in the great fall down the mountain was gone! Closing my eyes I strained to hear anything at all that could have done that to such a sturdy thing and a noise almost like a song sung from far away reached my ears. So I gathered my weapons and courage and headed for it- determined to meet with whatever stood before me.”

Retelling her duel of words with Gollum took them through dinner and their wild chase and then fight against Azog continued through supper. And then at last, when the great moon was reaching its highest point in the sky she finished the tale with their own introduction from the morning, offering most sincere apologies for being so very frightened of his bear form, not meaning to have unintentionally removed him from his home, and for being awfully rude to disrupt his schedule whilst also being so terribly dirty and unkempt.

Beorn could find no fault with the great tale he had been given and grinned in evident delight, plying the story teller and her companions with more food and offering them sanctuary for as long as they should need it- whenever they needed it.

The great man stood from the table, for they had moved indoors once the sun began to set, and said, “Make yourselves easy in my home. I must be out. There is a bathing room that you may use and I will see what can be done tomorrow about giving you the tool you’ll need for fixing your things.”

“Tomorrow Master Beorn?” Billa asked, tilting her head to one side in slight confusion.

“Aye.” The skin-changer nodded, “Orcs and wargs are still prowling and it’s past time I go hunting. Be warned- remove your selves from my home and you may just find yourselves eaten.” With that ominous warning, the man walked out his front door and after a moment of great silence followed; they heard the heavy woofing of a bear’s breathing accompanied by a roar of challenge to any and all who dared to enter his territory.

Hobbit, wizard, and dwarf looked around at one another for many long moments before the dwarves grinned.

“It would seem you were right Gandalf. There is indeed much more to our Hobbit than meets the eyes. To Billa Silvertongue!” Thorin called raised his tankard.

The cry and toast was made with great cheer and followed by a great deal many more drinks as the dwarves celebrated not only their lives, but also their safety, full bellies, and their joy at thus far having lost no one. Billa watched this all with a fond smile for a time, before determining that if the others were going to ignore the offer of a warm bath, she most certainly was not. And if it was only thanks to one Beorn’s dogs that she was awakened after having fallen asleep in her bath…well I suppose that is nobody’s business save her own.

**Author's Note:**

> Reminder: Italicized words are taken directly from the Hobbit movie as this fic is trying to follow the movie as much as possible, while making adjustments along the way. 
> 
> In addition to that I have also used several lines from LOTRTTT.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!


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